Trawen urges staff to be loyal

By SHIRLYN BELDEN
ELECTORAL Commissioner Andrew Trawen has urged his workers to be loyal to their tasks to successfully deliver the 2012 general election. 
In a statement, Trawen said the enrolment of eligible voters was one of the outstanding priority activities and Electoral Commission workers must be diligent and honest in their assigned duties. 
“The 2012 election will be more challenging than previous elections and I have asked my workers to be loyal to their specific tasks and perform their duties honestly in a God-fearing manner,” he said. 
He urged all Christians to continuously pray that plans and programmes for the election proceed without problems come July 23.
Other outstanding issues are awareness on the limited preferential voting system, early campaigning, separate polling booths for women and people with disabilities, printing and display of electoral rolls, election sundries – stationery, electoral offences, completion of training manuals and training of election officers and poll workers, plus confirmation of assistant election managers and their returning officers.
“The list continues with finalising of polling schedules and chart of accounts for election managers, appointment of provincial accountants, finalisation of transport hire, contractual agreements, printing of relevant election forms and tenders for printing of ballot papers and candidates’ posters.”
Trawen called on every PNG citizen to “take ownership of the 2012 election and not to engage in illegal activities to corrupt the electoral process”.
The call followed reports and complaints reaching his office that electoral roll update in certain council wards in Southern Highlands and Hela had not been properly carried out.
There was oversight and fraudulent activities carried out by enrolment officials, it was claimed.
“If the electoral roll is corrupted in one way or another then the conduct of election will be deemed not free and fair,” he said.